b ( 5.e. ) Idonow give to thee the righr,and Ido prophetically give, and God will really and attually give unto thy ſon Ephraim, or his poſtzrity, who ſhall pofleſs this part over and above that por- tion which ſhall fall co him by lot. This was all che Land woich Jacob had in Canaan, which he here gives to Joſeph, partly in Teſtis mony of his grear affeQion and obligarion ro him; partly as a ſign thar he did confer the right of the firſt-born upon him ; and parrly
|. for the confirmation of the Fairh of Joſeph and his Brerhren, and ro
ovlige them to ſet up their reſt no where bur in Canann. 6 The Hebrew word is Shechem, which word indeed ſignifies a jbould:r, as Gen: 9: 23: andis here put fora part of Land which is c'wice and good, as the ſhoulder is among the parts of the Body Se x Sam, 9. 24. And he ufeth this word, that by alluſion he might fignifie what place he ſpeaks of, even Sh-chem, as may fuzther appear by comparing Joſ: 24: 32. J'h: 4: 5: Yea ſome «i uld have Shecherd here to be the proper name of the place, which might be if rhe word one were not added to it. d This place is underitood, 'either 1: Ofrthe future Conqueſt of the Land of the Amorites or Canaanites by his poſteriry, which he here «ſcribes to himſelf, it in the paſt time, as of a thing already done, the Prophets is. But Facob would nor attribure that ro his Sword, whigh his poſterity deny to be done by their Sword, Pſal. 43- 4. And it 15 manifeſt, that /acob here ſpeaks of that which was his by a ſpecial Title, and which in a peculiar manner he gave to Joſephs, Or, 2. Ofthe City and Territory of Shechem, whoſe Inhabitants were rooted out by Simeen and Levi, and whoſe Land being void was pollefſed by Yacob. And rhis is ſaid "to be got by Jaceh's Sword and Bow, becauſe it was got with the Sword and Bow of hig Sons Simeon and Levi,and a great number of his Family,who doubt« Jeſs were aflcciated with them in this expedition. Bur ir is not! likely thar he would take to himſelf that which be declares bisutter abhorrency ef, Gen: 34: 30: and 42: 5, 6, or that he ſhould calf that #15 Sword and his Bow here which he calls inſtruments of crueity ins Simeon's ane Levi's hands, Gen: 49. 5. Or, 3. Which ſeems the trucſt,of that Land in the Territory of Sbechew, which Jacob bought of Hemor, Gn: 33: 19: Which 1s ſaid to be got by his Sword and Bow, either 1: Properly, becaufe he did by ' 24 of Arms expet rhoſe Amorires, who upon bis retirement from thoſe parts, after ths ſlaughter of the Sichemites, had invaded his Lands, though this fto« ry be not elſewhere recorded; as many things are mentioned by the by in ſome one place of Scripture, withour any particular account!
of the circumſtances of them, eirher there oreH{ewhere, as Gen: 363:
24. Deut: 2. 9, 10, 11; Jef, 24: it. And though Jacob was a man of Peace, yet his Sons were Warriors ; and they by las per- miſſion might drive out, by their Arms, thoſe ſtragling Canaanites which had raken poſſeflion of bis purchaſe, Jacob being. the more. willing to recover his right herein, becauſe irwas an earneſt of his future poſlefffon of the whole Land. And the neighbouring Ca+ naanites would not concern themſelves in the defence of the inva=- ders,both becauſe they were convinced of the righr of Jscob's Cauſe, and becaule they were over-ruled by Divine Sepia rag in —_—_
r, 2. Me« raphorically, # e. by his Money, which he calls his Sword and his Bow, not on'y becauſe Money isan{werable to the Sword and the
K 2 Bow,
and ſpeaks of as the manner of
ed ſhall become a 4 mul- + Heb. 32 J wines
»
121). ALite
e things, Ecclef: 10. 19: and ire defence, Eccleſ: 7. peg ; ———_ may i627 _ called, even as prayers and zears are called the arms of the Church, becuaſe they ſerve for the ſame pur- poſe that Arms do againſt their Enemies ; but alſo and principally by way of oppoſition to the Sword and Bow of his cruel' Sons. So the ſenſe may be this, 1 have given to thee one portion, or one Skechem,not the City of Shechem, which Simeon and Levi took from the hand of the dmorite with their Sword and their Bow, but a part of the Terri- tory of Shechem which I took, or received from the hand of the Amo- rite by my Svvord and my Bovv, #. e. by my Money, vyhereby I pur-
d it. __ CHAP. XLIX.
2. Condemns Reuben's inceſt, 3, 4. Simeon's and Levi's cruelty, 5---7: Extols Judah; propbefict b of Chriſt, and the calling of the Gentiles,g----12: Of Zebulun, 13. 1ſachsr, 14, 15. Dan. 16: Expreſſes his faith on God 5 ſalvation, 17: Of Gad, 19. Aſher, 20: Naphtali, 21: Joſephs peculi- ar bleſſing, 22=-=--26: Of Benjamin, 27: His charge concerning his bu- rial, and death, 28----33. : | AN D Jacob called unto his ſons, and ſaid, Gather your ſelves ' together, that I may tell you that which ſhall befal you in the laſt days . - 8 Or» In the following times, or latter days, when you ſhall enter into, and be ſettled in the Land of Promiſe. Hereby he ſignifies that he ſpeaks here of things which concern not ſo much their per- ſons, as their poſterity. 2 Gather your ſelves - together, and hear Jacob, and hearken unto Iſrael your father. 2 7 Reuben thou art my firſt-born, my might, and
the beginning of my ftrength b, the excellency of digni- ty; and the excellency of power c.
b The firſt inſtance, or evidence of my might, or ſtrength, or of that maſculine vigour, whereby God enabled me ro beget a Child. Compare Deut: 21: 17: Pſsl: 105: 36: Or the fict of my Children, which are the ſtrength, the ſtays, and ſupports of a Fa-
| ther, and of his Fa'ily; thence called his Arrows,as Pſal:127: 4. and by other Authors, The pillars of the houſe. c As firſt-born thou hadft the right of precedency beforeall thy Brethren in point of Dignity and Power, or Priviledge ; thedouble portion, the Prieſthood, the Dominion over thy brethren were thine.
Heb: 4 Unſtable as water 4, + thou ſhalt not excel e, be- & merb cauſe thou * wenteſt up to thy fathers bed : then defil-
ye ſons of
excel. edft thou 5rf, | He went up to my couch g, * Chap: * d This may concern either, r. Something paſt, or Reuber's fault; Chr.5:1 and ſo he is id to have been #»ſtable,or light, and vain, as the word
is uſed, Judg: 9: 4: Zeph: 3: 4: like water, moved with every litrle